ORIGINAL: oldsmellhound
Thanks for the report. This has been a much-discussed topic for sure. I wonder, are there large differences between the types of SST/Shockwaves? For example, you and some other people have had very good luck with and speak highly of the .40 cal 200 grainers. However, most of the posts I've seen complaining about lack of expansion, lack of blood trails, etc. are about the .45 cal bullets, either 250 or 300 grain. I wonder if the bullets are made differently or are structurally different in some way. It would be interesting to find out...
I do not want to over-generalize so I will say that potentially, yes. To draw an analogy if you look at long range hunting forums the .308 vs .338 Sierra Matchkings have significantly different reputations when used on game.
I would say some of this stems from the fact that I bet the 250gr SW is used in the field 5 times as much as the 200gr...at least. Most people that I know that use SWs use the 250gr version because that is more similar in weight to the other options they are used to using (240-250gr is a VERY popular size range!). So you are going to hear more reports on them, good or bad.
I have not personally used the 250, neither of my guns would take them and at the time I don't believe the alternative sabots were available yet (at least I did not know about them so I fell in love with the 200gr instead). However, I have lots of acquaintances, good hunters and good shooters, that use the 250gr with much success. Once of them had a single instance where he double-lunged a doe at close range and she stayed on her feet quite a bit longer than he thought she would. But I had the same thing happen with a 300gr soft lead Keith Nose hollowpoint that practically took the lungs out the other side so I don't draw conclusions on either bullet off one animal!
I would be very interested in actual reports with some pictures on these failures of the 250gr. Were the bullets recovered non-expanded (I know that's asking a lot but if they really don't expand there should be some frontal non-exits or soemthing)? Was the animal recovered and it confirmed that the bullet "penciled through" with no evidence of expansion or was it an assumption as the deer ran off and the actual location of the hit never confirmed?
Sometimes I wonder if people's expectations of theentrance/exit woundsare not exaggerated. I don't get 2 inch exit wounds with the 200gr SW. It's certainly larger than the entrance hole (often hidden under the fur) but the internal damage, what really counts and caused in energy transfer not just bullet diameter, is what is more impressive. The only time I get really big exits is on those shoulder shots where the bullet islike .7-.9 inchacross when it exits.